Ranji Roundup: Erratic Delhi bowled out for 90, Karnataka in command

A round-up of Ranji matches played across India on Thursday

A reckless batting performance saw Delhi bundled out for 90 runs, their lowest against Karnataka, who took a healthy 41-run first innings lead on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group B match, in Kolkata, on Thursday.

Put in to bat, the group B leaders Delhi lost their first wicket for zero and skipper Gautam Gambhir (2) was the second to go with an atrocious pull, while the inform Rishabh Pant, fresh from his 308 against Maharashtra, seemed to be in a hurry and got out for 24.

Delhi lost their top five batsmen for 65 runs with no intent to occupy the crease. Karnataka bowlers did not have to do anything extraordinary to dismiss them in 35.5 overs in two hours and 38 minutes in the extended first session.

Left-arm pacer Sreenath Aravind, who replaced the injured skipper R Vinay Kumar, returned with 4/12 in his first match of the season while off-spinner K Gowtham scalped 3/26 and Abhimanyu Mithun picked up 2/29.

In reply, Karnataka showed Delhi the way as R Samarth (53) and Mayank Agarwal (56) put up a solid 87-run opening partnership.

Making a comeback after a bout of Chikungunya, India frontline pacer Ishant Sharma returned wicket-less and bowled just 10 overs in four short spells.

Delhi's previous lowest against Karnataka was 138 in 2005-06 season in Bangalore.

Brief Scores

Delhi: 90 all out in 35.5 overs (Arvind Sreenath 4/12, Gowtham 3/26, Mithun 2/29).

Karnataka: 131/3 in 52 overs (Mayank Agarwal 56, R Samarth 53).

Jackson, Pujara power Saurashtra to 285/3 against Maha

Middle-order batsman Sheldon Jackson hit a strokeful century while Cheteshwar Pujara made an unbeaten fifty to power Saurashtra to 285 for three in their first innings against Maharashtra in a Group match in Vizianagaram.

Jackson made 105 off 153 deliveries and struck 10 fours and six hits over the fence during his knock.

Together with Pujara, Jackson shared 164 runs for the third wicket to take Saurashtra to a commanding position.

While Jackson was the aggressor during the partnership, Pujara was happy to play the second fiddle with a patient unbeaten 79 off 219 balls with the help of six fours and one over boundary.

At stumps, skipper Jaydev Shah (36 not out) was giving Pujara company at the crease.

Electing to bowl after winning the toss, Maharashtra reduced Saurashtra to 67 for two in 25th over before Pujara and Jackson joined hands to take the game away from their opposition.

Brief Scores:

Saurashtra: 285 for three in 90 overs (Sheldon Jackson 105, Cheteshwar Pujara 79 not out; Mohsin Sayyed 1/50).

Samarth Singh strikes maiden ton

Samarth Singh scored his maiden First-Class hundred to take Uttar Pradesh to 207/1 at stumps on day one of their Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu in Dharamsala.

UP scored at less than 2.5 runs per over, frustrating the opposition bowlers through out the day.

Samarth (115*), playing only his second First-Class match, showed commendable calm and composure on way to reaching the three-figure mark.

The centurion opened the batting alongside Tanmay Srivastava (53) and the duo set the tone for the innings with a 109-run stand.

Samarth slammed 18 fours and couple of sixes in his unbeaten 247-ball knock while Srivastava hit nine fours in his 182-ball effort.

Samarth went on to bat the entire day and had shared 98 runs with Umang Sharma (36*) at close of play.

Brief scores:

UP: 207/1 in 90 overs (Samarth Singh 115, Srivastava 53).

Bengal reach 332/5 against Punjab

Opener Sayan Mondal slammed a century as Bengal amassed 332/5 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group A clash against Punjab in Bilaspur.

Mondal's 135-run knock was the highlight of a fine batting performance by Bengal during which Sudip Chatterjee (51), Agniv Pan (70) and skipper Manoj Tiwary (45) also made noteworthy contributions.

At stumps, Pankaj Shaw (11) and Pragyan Ojha (2) were holding fort for Bengal after the side was put in to bat by Punjab.

On a rather frustrating day for Punjab, Sandeep Sharma and Vinay Chaudhary picked up two wickets apiece.

Brief Scores:

Bengal: 332/5 in 89 overs (Sayan Mondal 135, Agniv Pan 70, Sandeep Sharma 2/70).

Chattisgarh take the honours against Haryana

Chattisgarh produced a collective bowling effort to bundle out Haryana for a paltry 178 in their first innings before reaching 68 for one at the end of the opening day's play in Guwahati.

Left-arm orthodox bowler Ajay Mandal (4/26) registered his best first class bowling figures to stole the limelight for Chattisgarh.

He was ably supported by Pankaj Rao (2/47), Abhishek Tamrakar (2/54), Pratik Sinha (1/41) and Abhimanyu Chauhan (1/9).

Young Rohit Sharma top-scored for Haryana with a patient 45 off 92 balls, while Harshal Patel made 34.

In reply, Chattisgarh made a steady start to reach 41 for no loss before opener Risabh Tiwari nicked one to Nitin Saini behind the stumps off Patel's bowling in the 16th over.

Sahil Gupta (25 not out) and Ashutosh Singh (8 not out) ensured no further damage for Chattisgarh to end the day's proceedings at 68 for one in 24 overs.

Brief Scores:

Haryana: 178 all out in 54.1 overs (Rohit Sharma 45, Harshal Patel 34; Ajay Mandal 4/26).

Chattisgarh: 68 for one in 24 overs (Risabh Tiwari 30, Sahil Gupta 25 not out; Harshal Patel 1/22).

Vidarbha reach 254/3 against Assam

Ganesh Satish struck an unbeaten 93 while opener Sanjay Ramaswamy made 83 as Vidarbha produced a commanding batting display to reach 254 for three on the opening day against Assam in Thumba (Thiruvananthapuram).

Opting to bat after winning the toss, Ramaswamy and skipper Faiz Fazal (44) shared 68 runs for the opening wicket to lay the foundation for the total.

Then Ramaswamy and Satish joined hands and the duo piled the misery on the Assam bowlers with a 131-run second wicket stand.

Off-spinner Swarupam Purkayastha (3/86) picked up all the three wickets for Assam.

In fact, it was Purkayastha who broke the dangerous-looking partnership between Ramaswamy and Satish. He also picked up the opening wicket of Fazal and Aditya Shanware.

Ramaswamy faced 196 deliveries en route to his 83 and struck four hits to the fence, while Satish unbeaten 184-ball knock was laced with seven boundaries and one six.

Assam used as many as seven bowlers but only Purkayastha was the one to taste success.

Brief Scores:

Vidarbha: 254 for three in 90 overs (Ganesh Satish 93 not out, Sanjay Ramaswamy 83; Swarupam Purkayastha 3/86).

Khajuria misses ton after rallying J&K

Young opener Shubham Khajuria played a responsible innings of 90 and helped Jammu and Kashmir recover from a poor start on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Group C match against Andhra Pradesh in Mumbai.

Khajuria held one end after his team, inserted in by Andhra captain Hanuma Vihari, lost two quick wickets for only 18 on a track with a tinge of green on it.

The 21-year-old opener struck 2 sixes and 9 fours in his 238-ball vigil as he added 99 runs with Parvez Rasool (45 in 114 balls).

The fourth wicket duo pulled the innings out of the rut it had fallen into at 51 for 3.

Khajuria fell after tea and at stumps J and K had advanced to 205 for 6, with Bandeep Singh (14) and Punit Bisht (12) at the crease.

Khajuria, in his first-class career's 20th game, missed a second century when his defense was breached by left arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt, who got appreciable turn and bounce from the track to take two wickets.
Brief scores: J and K 205 for 6 (S Khajuria 90, P Rasool 45; P Vijay Kumar 2 for 40, Siva Kumar 2 for 32, B Bhatt 2 for 71) v Andhra.

Aditya, Rajat take MP to 239/2 against Mumbai

Aditya Shrivastava (87) and Rajat Patidar (83 not out) cracked twin half-centuries to power Madhya Pradesh to 239 for two in their first innings against Mumbai on the opening day in Raipur.

Opening the innings after electing to bat, Shrivastava blasted 13 boundaries in his 176-ball innings, while Patidar produced 12 hits to the fence in his 205-ball patient stay at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.

At the draw of stumps, Patidar and skipper Devendra Bundela (36 not out) were at the crease.

Electing to bat, Madhya Pradesh produced a solid batting display as openers Shrivastava and Mukul Raghav (24) added 54 runs before the latter was dismissed by Abhishek Nayar (1/39) in the 21st over.

Shrivastava and Patidar then joined hands and forged an 126-run partnership to take Madhya Pradesh across the 150-run mark.

In the 59th over, Shrivastava was dismissed by Vijay Gohil (1/28).

Thereafter, Patidar and Bundela played patiently to take Madhya Pradesh home without any further damage.

Brief Score:

Madhya Pradesh 1st innings: 186 for two in 90 overs (Aditya Shrivastava 87, Rajat Paridar 83 not out; Vijay Gohil 1/28).

Pankaj's fifer help Rajasthan bowl out Jhankhand for 209

Pacer Pankaj Singh returned with a five-wicket haul to help Rajasthan bundle out Jharkhand for 209 in their first innings in a Group B match in Vadodara.

Electing to bat after winning the toss, Jharkhand witnessed a horrendous start, losing both their openers -- Virat Singh and Anand Singh -- without opening the score.

Kaushal Singh (56) and Ishank Jaggi (49) shared 96 runs for the sixth wicket to stabilise the Jharkhand innings before the eastern side lost wicket at regular intervals to bowled out in 73.5 overs.

Besides Kaushal and Jaggi, Pratyush Singh (33), Shahbaz Nadeem (24) and skipper Saurabh Tiwary (20) got starts before being failing to carry on their innings.

Apart from Pankaj, left-arm spinner Kukna Ajay Singh (2/32) and rookie pacer Nathu Singh (2/65) shared four wickets between them.

In reply, Rajasthan were 26 for no loss in 12 overs at the close of play.

Brief Scores:

Jharkhand: 209 all out in 73.5 overs (Kaushal Singh 56, Ishank Jaggi 49; Pankaj Singh 5/60).

Rajasthan: 26 for no loss in 12 overs (Vineet Saxena 16 not out, Manender Singh 10 not out).